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		<title>Does Control Really Reduce Anxiety?</title>
		<link>https://comfortablehell.com/does-control-really-reduce-anxiety/</link>
					<comments>https://comfortablehell.com/does-control-really-reduce-anxiety/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sarah Saxby]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 Jul 2023 03:19:08 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[emotional abuse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[emotional healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[life lessons]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://comfortablehell.com/?p=1618</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>What does it really mean to control people or situation and does control really reduce anxiety? For me, I learned that it does not.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/does-control-really-reduce-anxiety/">Does Control Really Reduce Anxiety?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://comfortablehell.com">Comfortable Hell</a>.</p>
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.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}</style>				<p>I heard someone say recently that the reason people control is to reduce anxiety. It seems like a pretty obvious concept, but to me it was a very new way of looking at it.</p><p>We control people and/or situations to reduce that dreaded feeling of anxiousness.</p><p>The more restrictions we place on others, the more we monitor and hover, the more we force desired outcomes, we just might be able to rest our heads at night until we open our eyes in the morning and continue to plan out every minute detail of the upcoming day, because if we don&#8217;t&#8230;&#8230;what? What will happen exactly?</p><p>This takes me back to my most recent relationship dynamic.</p><p>I have mentioned in previous blogs that I was &#8220;<a href="https://comfortablehell.com/how-did-i-allow-this-to-happen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">owned</a>&#8220;, I was an extension of him.</p><p>He controlled the finances and how money was spent. He reviewed the phone bill every month and the numbers coming in and out of my phone. He controlled where I went, either by showing up or using guilt to get himself invited to wherever I wanted to go. He followed me to work. He demanded that I talk to him to and from work and during my entire lunch. He hacked my social media. He listened to phone conversations.</p><p>When he felt he was losing control, he would yell or demand. You could feel his anxiety building as the reins got tighter. The unimaginable fear he must have felt. Like living death, I would imagine. How hard must that have been to 100% orchestrate the life of another person? The energy that had to have taken and like I said in the beginning, for what?</p><p>What would happen if I went out with friends? What would happen if I went to the bank by myself? What would happen if I had 4 unknown numbers on my phone? Well, it must be death, because what else is there?</p><p><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-1633 size-large" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/controlling-people-or-situation-1024x683.jpg" alt="controlling people or situation" width="800" height="534" srcset="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/controlling-people-or-situation-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/controlling-people-or-situation-300x200.jpg 300w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/controlling-people-or-situation-768x512.jpg 768w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/controlling-people-or-situation.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></p><p>With that said, being a life-long student of the <a href="https://www.kabbalah.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kabbalah Centre</a>, I know all too well that what you see in others, you possess, as well.</p><p>So where are the places that I control to avoid those horrible feelings?</p><p>Well let&#8217;s see&#8230; I control my behavior, as to not upset those around me. If I carefully survey the room, and those in it, so I can pick up on their feelings, I will act accordingly, mitigating my behavior to reduce any sort of possible tension.</p><p>I control conversations in a way where I cannot, under any circumstances, allow someone else in my presence to say something stupid. Oh, and if they do, I make up for it. I laugh and joke so the other person doesn&#8217;t get confronted in my presence.</p><p>I realize I only do this to protect myself. It&#8217;s not about protecting the other person &#8211; it&#8217;s about protecting ME!</p><p>So here we are, self-protection.</p><p>Control, at all costs, to avoid anxiety, to avoid what feels like death.</p><p>It&#8217;s inside of me as much as anyone else, but for me, I vow to change.</p><p>My only option to uproot this insane control/anxiety cycle is to breathe through it, center myself, and stand in the face of it. Yes, it hurts, but only for a few seconds, because on the other side of that challenge is absolute freedom and paradise.</p><p>For the first 50 years of my life, I have been accepting endless hurt. I was playing this ridiculous game of tiptoeing around so everything fell into place exactly as I thought it should, but it NEVER felt good. It was exhausting, to put it lightly.</p><p>All I ever really had to do was stand and watch the situation move through me, with possibly three seconds of agony, as opposed to a lifetime of it.</p><p>So, does control REALLY reduce anxiety at the end of the day?</p><p>It does not, so I accept the upcoming challenges, as I move closer to my true paradise, free from the chains of control.</p><p><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1625" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Does-Control-Really-Reduce-Anxiety_ComfortableHell-1024x579.jpg" alt="Does Control Really Reduce Anxiety_ComfortableHell" width="800" height="452" srcset="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Does-Control-Really-Reduce-Anxiety_ComfortableHell-1024x579.jpg 1024w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Does-Control-Really-Reduce-Anxiety_ComfortableHell-300x170.jpg 300w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Does-Control-Really-Reduce-Anxiety_ComfortableHell-768x434.jpg 768w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Does-Control-Really-Reduce-Anxiety_ComfortableHell.jpg 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></p>						</div>
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		<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"><img decoding="async" width="100" height="100" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Saxby-Pic-150x150.jpg" class="avatar avatar-100 photo" alt="Sarah Saxby" /></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://comfortablehell.com/author/user1/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Sarah Saxby</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><p>Sarah Saxby is a Holistic Nutrition Consultant, Transformation Coach, and blogger that uses Kabbalistic Astrology, Human Design, and intuitive guidance to lead her clients to finally live with clarity, fulfillment, and internal happiness. You can also find her at <a href="https://strategiesforhappiness.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Strategies for Happiness</a> where you can <a href="https://strategiesforhappiness.com/book-now/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">schedule an Astrological Alignment Reading</a> or a free, 15-minute Discovery Call to discuss Nutrition and/or Transformational Coaching sessions.</p>
</div></div><div class="saboxplugin-web "><a href="https://comfortablehell.com" target="_self" >comfortablehell.com</a></div><div class="clearfix"></div></div></div><p>The post <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/does-control-really-reduce-anxiety/">Does Control Really Reduce Anxiety?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://comfortablehell.com">Comfortable Hell</a>.</p>
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		<title>The Tale of the Bully and the Betrayer: The Perfect Match</title>
		<link>https://comfortablehell.com/bully-and-the-betrayer/</link>
					<comments>https://comfortablehell.com/bully-and-the-betrayer/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sarah Saxby]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 26 Nov 2022 10:00:52 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[abuse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dating]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://comfortablehell.com/?p=1520</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>It's never-ending, but it’s no longer Sov's circus. So, best wishes to the bully and the betrayer - there was never a more perfect match.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/bully-and-the-betrayer/">The Tale of the Bully and the Betrayer: The Perfect Match</a> appeared first on <a href="https://comfortablehell.com">Comfortable Hell</a>.</p>
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							<p>I know this guy, we will call him DB. DB is a master manipulator and a predator. He is insecure, obnoxious, and angry. He&#8217;s had two long-term relationships and both times they ended with his partners calling him a monster, which, by all intents and purposes, is a pretty harsh thing to be called.</p>
<p>Both ex-partners wrote about the abuse and torture they experienced at the hands of DB, but if you ask him, he will tell you he&#8217;s quite a catch. DB&#8217;s last partner, Sov, left him high &amp; dry not too long after his last abusive explosion. It was heartbreaking because she loved her home and had to make the brave choice to uproot everything and everyone in the process. Sadly, she also had to give up the only puppy she ever owned because, according to experts, including her local police department, going &#8220;<a href="https://www.hg.org/legal-articles/criminal-law-no-contact-orders-18257" target="_blank" rel="noopener">no contact</a>&#8221; with a sociopath, stalker, and wack-job is really the only option.</p>
<p>DB greatly disliked being left so abruptly because he lost all control over Sov. He no longer had his energy supply. Frantically, he had to find something, some way, maybe even someONE to help him gain back some power. But who, you may ask, would be unconscious enough to fall into his next trap?</p>
<p>Allow me to introduce Blair. Blair is a very angry person. &nbsp;She&#8217;s generally miserable, makes&nbsp;everyone around her miserable, believes her way is the only way, and is very jealous of Sov. I guess you can say she would be the perfect victim for DB&#8217;s manipulation tactics &#8211; eager to believe the lies that fall from his mouth because, finally, someone would be validating her delusional feelings about Sov. Yay!!</p>
<p>You see, Blair is married to Sov&#8217;s ex-husband and has incessant thoughts of him running back to her. It&#8217;s pretty jacked up, actually. Because if Blair feels that way, that&#8217;s her own BS, as Sov never gave any impression that she ever wanted her ex back, nor would she ever entertain the thought of taking him back. He wasn&#8217;t good enough for her then or now. &nbsp;He is a weakling and a doormat. I can, however, understand Blair&#8217;s concern and jealousy over Sov, as she is a queen. She is the whole package &#8211; honest, kind, intelligent, funny, just beautiful inside and out.</p>
<p>Over the years, Sov offered nothing but friendship to Blair, mostly to keep peace within the families. Sov&#8217;s children are first and foremost in her life and she wanted to make sure they only were witnesses to mature, supportive interactions among all of their parents. For the most part, that is what they experienced. Blended families can be difficult, but Sov (while eating a lot of shit sandwiches) was an adult and kept things peaceful for her children. Really, from anyone&#8217;s point of view, Sov and Blair appeared to be friends&#8230;at least Sov believed they were.</p>
<p>They hung out here and there, confided in each other, shared experiences and feelings, and offered advice to one another. All the things friends typically do. But there was&nbsp;also something that didn&#8217;t feel quite right within Sov. It was like this internal voice constantly telling her NOT to trust Blair, but she ignored that inner guidance. She foolishly wanted to believe that all people were honest and trustworthy, especially Blair, and particularly right before leaving DB.</p>
<p>This was a time when Sov felt incredibly alone, afraid, and unaware of what move she should make. For the very first time, Sov spoke up about the horrific abuse, manipulation, and torture she had been enduring for many years, as Blair listened. Blair&#8217;s immediate advice &#8211; &#8220;Sov, you are being abused and you need to get the hell out of that house.&#8221; And so, she did.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1524" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/betrayed-woman-1024x604.jpg" alt="closeup image of three woman standing against each other's back with their head down, representing the article &quot;The Tale of the Bully and the Betrayer: The Perfect Match&quot; by Comfortable Hell" width="800" height="472" srcset="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/betrayed-woman-1024x604.jpg 1024w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/betrayed-woman-300x177.jpg 300w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/betrayed-woman-768x453.jpg 768w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/betrayed-woman-1536x906.jpg 1536w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/betrayed-woman.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></p>
<p>Now Sov was no stranger to betrayal, her mom taught her all about that at an early age. Trust those that seemingly love you, watch as they feed you to the wolves, and understand that you are <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/how-did-i-allow-this-to-happen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">powerless</a> to do anything about it anyway. Shrink yourself so others around you can feel big. Stay quiet so your environment will remain safe and comfortable. In Sov&#8217;s life, there always seemed to be a bully and a betrayer. Someone that abused her and another person that fell victim to that abuser&#8217;s manipulation &#8211; and then subsequently betrayed Sov.</p>
<p>It was a divine and beautifully orchestrated opportunity for transformation, but without the corresponding awareness, it just manifests as yet another hardship to endure&#8230; over, and over, and over again.</p>
<p>As you might have guessed, Blair betrayed Sov. She reached out to DB, took him to lunch &#8211; as she put it &#8220;to make sure he was ok.&#8221; She was concerned for his well-being and told Sov she was a liar and made up the stories of abuse. Ha, right. Sov spent hours crafting stories of sexual, emotional, financial, and verbal abuse, and stalking so she can uproot her children, her home, and leave the only puppy she ever loved. Her exact words were &#8220;I can do whatever the fuck I want to do&#8221;. &nbsp;Obviously, this was not about Sov, it was about Blair and her own issues of lying and betrayal.</p>
<p>One might ask, what does Blair even have to do with DB? Why would they even be in contact at all? Great questions! Just to put this insanity into perspective, say you are a man (traditionally speaking) &#8211; this would be like your current wife, reaching out to your ex-wife&#8217;s ex-boyfriend and having a relationship with that person, be it what it may, of course. So not only is it twisted and inappropriate, it&#8217;s also just purely f*cked up. Especially as Sov&#8217;s children try to reconcile the nonsense and their dad just sits and allows his wife to have an inappropriate relationship with the man that abused their mom. &nbsp;Oh, and Blair watches Sov&#8217;s dog on a regular basis. &nbsp;Imagine how her kids feel about that&#8230;? I can assure you that they are VERY uncomfortable and cannot make sense of it.</p>
<p>The funny, yet sad, part about this story is that DB has found another victim and she&#8217;s clueless. He has no capacity to truly care about any one, he doesn&#8217;t know how. He&#8217;s a lifelong 12-year-old who sucks the lifeblood of others to survive. His strategy in all of this is simply to have a link to Sov, not because he cares to have a relationship with Blair. By staying close to Blair, DB attempts to keep a connection and pathetic hope of control. In some ways, he still has access to Sov and can receive information on what she is doing, where she is, etc. through Blair. &nbsp;Even though Sov uprooted her entire life to get herself and her children away from that psychopath, and she even filed a police report when she left, her ex-husband is STILL allowing DB access to their children. &nbsp;After all the work Sov did to remove DB from her life, he found a way in through the weakest and most clueless people around. &nbsp;See how easily this&nbsp;happens? Sneaky shits, those narcissists. His&nbsp;only operating system is manipulation, self-interest, and endlessly searching, externally, for ways to get his needs met. Nice work, DB. &nbsp;But you know you will never be smarter or faster than Sov.</p>
<p>Best wishes, bully and betrayer. There was never a more perfect match.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1525" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/The-Tale-of-the-Bully-and-the-Betrayer-The-Perfect-Match_ComfortableHell-1024x579.jpg" alt="an image of a sad black woman seated on the floor with text overlay of a quote from the article &quot;The Tale of the Bully and the Betrayer The Perfect Match&quot; by Comfortable Hell" width="800" height="452" srcset="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/The-Tale-of-the-Bully-and-the-Betrayer-The-Perfect-Match_ComfortableHell-1024x579.jpg 1024w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/The-Tale-of-the-Bully-and-the-Betrayer-The-Perfect-Match_ComfortableHell-300x170.jpg 300w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/The-Tale-of-the-Bully-and-the-Betrayer-The-Perfect-Match_ComfortableHell-768x434.jpg 768w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/The-Tale-of-the-Bully-and-the-Betrayer-The-Perfect-Match_ComfortableHell.jpg 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></p>						</div>
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		<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"><img decoding="async" width="100" height="100" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Saxby-Pic-150x150.jpg" class="avatar avatar-100 photo" alt="Sarah Saxby" /></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://comfortablehell.com/author/user1/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Sarah Saxby</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><p>Sarah Saxby is a Holistic Nutrition Consultant, Transformation Coach, and blogger that uses Kabbalistic Astrology, Human Design, and intuitive guidance to lead her clients to finally live with clarity, fulfillment, and internal happiness. You can also find her at <a href="https://strategiesforhappiness.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Strategies for Happiness</a> where you can <a href="https://strategiesforhappiness.com/book-now/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">schedule an Astrological Alignment Reading</a> or a free, 15-minute Discovery Call to discuss Nutrition and/or Transformational Coaching sessions.</p>
</div></div><div class="saboxplugin-web "><a href="https://comfortablehell.com" target="_self" >comfortablehell.com</a></div><div class="clearfix"></div></div></div><p>The post <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/bully-and-the-betrayer/">The Tale of the Bully and the Betrayer: The Perfect Match</a> appeared first on <a href="https://comfortablehell.com">Comfortable Hell</a>.</p>
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		<title>If No One Is Around To Receive It, Is It Still Abuse?</title>
		<link>https://comfortablehell.com/abuse/</link>
					<comments>https://comfortablehell.com/abuse/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sarah Saxby]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 05 Nov 2022 10:00:12 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[abuse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[emotional healing]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://comfortablehell.com/?p=1458</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>I’ve been so mad at myself over this particular situation because I had such an opportunity to stop abuse in its tracks - but I didn’t.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/abuse/">If No One Is Around To Receive It, Is It Still Abuse?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://comfortablehell.com">Comfortable Hell</a>.</p>
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							<p>I’ve pondered this question many times. It’s like the saying about a tree falling in the woods. I mean, someone has to be around to hear it, right? If no one is in the woods, does it even matter if it makes a sound or not?</p><p>It’s the listening that gives it meaning and power, I would think. Then we could ponder the many different perspectives on how the tree falling actually sounds. Loud, not so loud, creaking, snapping, booming, all that. But at the end of the day, it’s the individual that receives the “falling tree” communication, processes it, and gives attention to it, or not.</p><p>I believe this can be similar to abusive relationships. Now, when we were kids there was very little we could do to get ourselves out of <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/house-of-cards/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">family situations</a>. That was pretty much our base and foundation from where we learned our behavior, where we were hard-wired, conditioned, and prepped for the upcoming world of human interactions.</p><p>But now, flash forward 10, 20, 40+ years and we still find ourselves in less than desirable encounters and relationships. We still begrudgingly agree to do things we don’t want to do. We still allow people to make condescending and or inappropriate remarks and laugh it off as if it doesn’t matter…or deeply hurt.</p><p>We still self-sacrifice and put ourselves and our needs last to make sure our environment remains “positive,” although temporarily. We still work in environments where we’re taken advantage of and held over a barrel because of the need for an income.</p><p>The question I’ve been asking myself lately is… WHY? Why not speak up? Why not ask for what we want? What are we afraid of? Why do we allow this to happen?</p><p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-1461 size-large" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/sad-woman-1024x683.jpg" alt="a sad woman slump over a table with a book and cup of coffee beside her, representing the article &quot;If No One Is Around To Receive It, Is It Still Abuse&quot; by Comfortable Hell" width="800" height="534" srcset="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/sad-woman-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/sad-woman-300x200.jpg 300w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/sad-woman-768x512.jpg 768w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/sad-woman-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/sad-woman.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></p><p>I recently had an interaction with someone who VERY inappropriately made some sort of jackass comment about me wearing lingerie for him.</p><p>Now, in my brain, the first thought was WTF just came out of his mouth? But, because of the awkwardness, my fear of confrontation, and also my resistance to making him feel really stupid, I pretended like I didn’t hear it and just kept talking about something else.</p><p>As I think back, I ask myself why I didn’t just say “ummm, what did you just say?” Also, “why would you say something like that?” It seems so incredibly simple, but I couldn’t do it. I didn’t want to experience such discomfort, so really what I said to this guy was “it’s ok for you to say stupid shit like this to me because I’m a punching bag of nonsense. Please, carry on.”</p><p>I’ve been so mad at myself over this particular situation because I had such an opportunity to stop abuse in its tracks, but I didn’t stick up for myself… AGAIN!</p><p>As I write this, some clarity just showed up (I love when this happens).</p><p>Take this lingerie sitch, for example. If I actually turned the tables and asked this joker why he would EVER find it appropriate to say something like that to me… he might get mad at me. He might not like me anymore. He might make my life harder. He might think I’m a bitch and tell other people that I am, too. Oh, God forbid.</p><p>I mean, so what if he’s mad or feels like an ass. So what if he thinks I’m a bitch for <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/intrusion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">setting a boundary</a>… I’m sure he’d find some other way to dislike me in the future for much less of a reason. Why does that matter so much to me?</p><p>I can do all of the positive affirmations in the world, but at the end of the day, I still want everyone to like me. If they don’t, I am worthless.</p><p>You know, I heard one of the teachers at the <a href="https://www.kabbalah.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kabbalah Centre</a> say once that if you arrive at your deathbed and everyone likes you, then you did something wrong. People who really change the world are going to have haters and most certainly have to be strong enough to take it.</p><p>If I set boundaries, stick up for myself, and help others achieve their potential and there are still people that don’t like me, guess what? I’m on the right track!</p><p>If I would just stop making myself so freaking available and open to take in and accept these abusive people, they will cease to exist. It’s not abuse if I refuse to receive it.</p><p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-1462 size-large" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/If-No-One-Is-Around-To-Receive-It-Is-It-Still-Abuse_ComfortableHell-1024x579.jpg" alt="image of a smiling black woman with text overlay of a quote from the article &quot;If No One Is Around To Receive It, Is It Still Abuse&quot; by Comfortable Hell" width="800" height="452" srcset="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/If-No-One-Is-Around-To-Receive-It-Is-It-Still-Abuse_ComfortableHell-1024x579.jpg 1024w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/If-No-One-Is-Around-To-Receive-It-Is-It-Still-Abuse_ComfortableHell-300x170.jpg 300w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/If-No-One-Is-Around-To-Receive-It-Is-It-Still-Abuse_ComfortableHell-768x434.jpg 768w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/If-No-One-Is-Around-To-Receive-It-Is-It-Still-Abuse_ComfortableHell.jpg 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></p>						</div>
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		<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"><img decoding="async" width="100" height="100" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Saxby-Pic-150x150.jpg" class="avatar avatar-100 photo" alt="Sarah Saxby" /></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://comfortablehell.com/author/user1/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Sarah Saxby</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><p>Sarah Saxby is a Holistic Nutrition Consultant, Transformation Coach, and blogger that uses Kabbalistic Astrology, Human Design, and intuitive guidance to lead her clients to finally live with clarity, fulfillment, and internal happiness. You can also find her at <a href="https://strategiesforhappiness.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Strategies for Happiness</a> where you can <a href="https://strategiesforhappiness.com/book-now/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">schedule an Astrological Alignment Reading</a> or a free, 15-minute Discovery Call to discuss Nutrition and/or Transformational Coaching sessions.</p>
</div></div><div class="saboxplugin-web "><a href="https://comfortablehell.com" target="_self" >comfortablehell.com</a></div><div class="clearfix"></div></div></div><p>The post <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/abuse/">If No One Is Around To Receive It, Is It Still Abuse?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://comfortablehell.com">Comfortable Hell</a>.</p>
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		<title>Indifference Is Kryptonite</title>
		<link>https://comfortablehell.com/indifference-is-kryptonite/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sarah Saxby]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 29 Oct 2022 10:00:08 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[emotional healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[narcissism]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://comfortablehell.com/?p=1438</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. That&#8217;s why I stayed so long. You were an enemy and my soul knew it. I wanted to keep you near to me because I was more afraid of what you would do from a distance. Your insecurities and insatiable need to self-protect compelled you to hover, [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/indifference-is-kryptonite/">Indifference Is Kryptonite</a> appeared first on <a href="https://comfortablehell.com">Comfortable Hell</a>.</p>
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							<p>Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. That&#8217;s why I stayed so long. You were an enemy and my soul knew it. I wanted to keep you near to me because I was more afraid of what you would do from a distance.</p><p>Your insecurities and insatiable need to self-protect compelled you to hover, stalk, steal, and demand, but it was I who was forced to keep you as close as I possibly could for reasons only known to me.</p><p>You see, I was way more afraid of the unknown than the known. At least the stuff that was known felt familiar and my reactions to it took little energy, they were robotic. If you could hover, stalk, steal, and make demands while we were &#8220;in love,&#8221; what would that look like if I abandoned you?</p><p>What kind of anger and revenge would awaken in the person who is, unbeknownst to you, emotionally numb? Where will you get the supply of energy that has been literally sustaining your life for years? You, the emotional vampire that’s 100% dependent on my lifeblood.</p><p>I understand that, although most likely very stressful and difficult to sustain, you enjoyed having the upper hand over me. But, how much power did I have as your lifeblood, your energy source? I had no idea.</p><p>Despite your grandiosity, deep down you hate and fear who you really are. Unfortunately, you are unable to generate your own energy or power. You are lifeless without being a virus to a host.</p><p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1441" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Indifferent-woman-1024x700.jpg" alt="image of a long-haired woman in a black hoodie staring straight to the camera, representing the article" width="800" height="547" srcset="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Indifferent-woman-1024x700.jpg 1024w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Indifferent-woman-300x205.jpg 300w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Indifferent-woman-768x525.jpg 768w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Indifferent-woman-1536x1050.jpg 1536w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Indifferent-woman.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></p><p>You know how abnormal you are, that’s why you never feel like you’re a part of anything. You always feel left out, never belonging. Although you pretend to be a part of society, you never will be because you are unaware that any of these issues exist inside of you. Your inability to see the deep-rooted issue is the biggest hoax your ego will ever play on you.</p><p>No longer my circus. Although I have taken these last few months to write down my past <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/how-did-i-allow-this-to-happen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">experiences with abuse</a>, it has very much come from a victim&#8217;s standpoint. That’s not me, but I had to do it because I am human.</p><p>My whole purpose in airing my dirty laundry is to, God willing, let others know that it happens to the best of us. Shit REALLY sucks, but then you find your strength, your voice, <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/support-and-kindness/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">your tribe</a>, and you powerhouse the shit out of your life.</p><p>Now, I do know that even hatred gives you energy. It’s like confirmation of your power to still control me from a distance and bring me down to your level of misery.</p><p>From here on out, rather than hatred or anger, I choose indifference. You know why? Because indifference has no power, no reaction, no ability to ruin days, and thus, provides to you no lifeblood.</p><p>Thank you for being the catalyst from which I will thrive and for opening the door for the next lucky soul who will love me with love, rather than fear and logic.</p><p>Just as you discarded me when I was tired or wasn’t feeling well, I simply discard you with indifference. It’s a narcissist’s kryptonite.</p><p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1446" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Indifference-Is-Kryptonite_ComfortableHell-1024x579.jpg" alt="black and white closeup image of a woman with text overlay of a quote from the article &quot;Indifference Is Kryptonite&quot; by Comfortable Hell" width="800" height="452" srcset="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Indifference-Is-Kryptonite_ComfortableHell-1024x579.jpg 1024w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Indifference-Is-Kryptonite_ComfortableHell-300x170.jpg 300w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Indifference-Is-Kryptonite_ComfortableHell-768x434.jpg 768w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Indifference-Is-Kryptonite_ComfortableHell.jpg 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></p>						</div>
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		<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"><img decoding="async" width="100" height="100" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Saxby-Pic-150x150.jpg" class="avatar avatar-100 photo" alt="Sarah Saxby" /></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://comfortablehell.com/author/user1/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Sarah Saxby</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><p>Sarah Saxby is a Holistic Nutrition Consultant, Transformation Coach, and blogger that uses Kabbalistic Astrology, Human Design, and intuitive guidance to lead her clients to finally live with clarity, fulfillment, and internal happiness. You can also find her at <a href="https://strategiesforhappiness.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Strategies for Happiness</a> where you can <a href="https://strategiesforhappiness.com/book-now/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">schedule an Astrological Alignment Reading</a> or a free, 15-minute Discovery Call to discuss Nutrition and/or Transformational Coaching sessions.</p>
</div></div><div class="saboxplugin-web "><a href="https://comfortablehell.com" target="_self" >comfortablehell.com</a></div><div class="clearfix"></div></div></div><p>The post <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/indifference-is-kryptonite/">Indifference Is Kryptonite</a> appeared first on <a href="https://comfortablehell.com">Comfortable Hell</a>.</p>
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		<title>How Did I Allow This to Happen?</title>
		<link>https://comfortablehell.com/how-did-i-allow-this-to-happen/</link>
					<comments>https://comfortablehell.com/how-did-i-allow-this-to-happen/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sarah Saxby]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 15 Oct 2022 10:00:14 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[abuse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[narcissism]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://comfortablehell.com/?p=1311</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>When I listen to the recordings that I made during this torture, it makes me so incredibly sick. How did I allow this to happen?</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/how-did-i-allow-this-to-happen/">How Did I Allow This to Happen?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://comfortablehell.com">Comfortable Hell</a>.</p>
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							<p>As I become more and more open about the abusive situations that I have allowed in my life, I shake my head and just cannot figure out how this all happened. I&#8217;m at a place where I feel that if I&#8217;m not coming clean with what I&#8217;ve gone through, I am STILL protecting those individuals that did this to me.</p><p>HOW is it that I made all of this abuse OK? What went on in my head during these situations that somehow, some way, I said “it’s OK to do this to me.” I had no voice to speak, so I just went along with it.</p><p>Recently, I heard from someone in my tribe who told me that she honestly feels that what I experienced in my <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/whats-mine-is-mine-and-whats-yours-is-mine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">relationship with Robert</a> was rape. I hate that word and it makes me sick, but she was the THIRD FRIEND that actually called it that. THE THIRD!</p><p>I don’t want to believe it, my ego wants me to push it down and somehow sugarcoat what I went through, but I can’t because now I have others to hopefully help,  too. I am hanging my ass out there so other people will know that what they are going through may NOT be OK and they CANNOT let anyone dumb down what they are experiencing.</p><p>Only people that have something to hide will gaslight you into thinking you&#8217;re not seeing reality as it really is.</p><p>As I mentioned in a previous blog, Robert gave me 2 options every night of my life &#8211; either have sex or hear his wrath and lectures until 3am. When I listen to the recordings that I made during the torture, it makes me so incredibly sick. HOW DID I ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN FOR ALL THOSE YEARS?? Why did I make this OK and just a part of my life?</p><p>Having sex to avoid abuse IS ALSO ABUSE and it’s also RAPE, hands down, 100%. I will NOT be told differently and you should not either. If you are enduring abuse to avoid a different type of abuse, IT’S ABUSE!</p><p>Robert would always tell me to never compare our sex life with that of others because WE ARE DIFFERENT. I bought that bullshit, can you believe that? If I would have told just ONE friend what I was going through, I’m sure they would have physically pulled me out of that house. But I stayed quiet and never shared the agony I was going through.</p><p>To my defense, I was never allowed to go out without Robert, so how would I ever tell anyone anyway? I also discovered that he was hacking into my social media for several years. I found 203 logins from his device. I believe they call that <a href="https://www.odvn.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Stalking-2019.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Menacing by Stalking</a> in Ohio, but more on that later.</p>						</div>
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							<p>Somehow, I made the daily raping OK so I could keep everything “peaceful” and status quo in the environment. At least if I gave him the amount sex he wanted I could avoid being told I wasn&#8217;t good enough. It&#8217;s OK, I can take it, I have no worth. I can keep up the charade and bullshit lie that was now my life.</p><p>I also mentioned previously that Robert abused me financially. So basically, I was a hooker and he was my pimp. His &#8220;need&#8221; for sex 7 days a week, and some days more than once, was coupled with me only being “allowed” to have a joint checking account and a joint credit card.  I couldn&#8217;t even walk into a bank without him.</p><p>All my money &amp; paychecks went to the joint account while Robert had other accounts to do what he wished. Of course, he claimed full transparency with his personal accounts, but remember, this is also the guy who also claimed that someone must have climbed through my sunroof to steal my CDs from the 1990s. (Refer to <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/shout-out-to-the-person-who-wanted-to-erase-my-memory/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previous blogs</a> on Insulting Intelligence).</p><p>I digress. I couldn’t spend any of that money on things for myself, as Robert would tell me that I didn’t have it to spend and whatever it was that I wanted was not a budget-line item. The only way he supported me was if he somehow benefited from it, too.</p><p>I had to give up taking my kids on soccer tournament weekends because it wasn’t a budget line-item. When I told him that we needed to add it to the budget he would ask me &#8220;where are we going to get that money from?&#8221; Basically, you can&#8217;t get blood out of a turnip. We were the poorest rich people around. Well, if he wasn&#8217;t benefiting from it, anyway.</p><p>That made me so incredibly sad and depressed because that was such a fun thing to do with my kids. To this day, it hurts me so much to think that I didn’t fight for that special time with my children and somehow buried all of that so I didn’t have to think about it. I made up excuses why I couldn&#8217;t take them anymore.</p><p>So, just like everything else, I somehow had no voice and just didn’t go on these weekend getaways with my kids anymore. But now wait, if Robert was invited to go along with us, then we had the money &#8211; that would be considered a “vacation” and we had a budget line-item for that.</p><p>The very first time I actually spoke up and told Robert that I wanted to take my son to a tournament 2 hours away, he, of course, said the money wasn’t there. As I kept pushing, he said that we could use vacation money if he was also invited, BUT, the only way that we could ultimately go was if I would get my son out of the hotel room at some point so we could have sex and/or I could blow him.</p><p>Yep, those were the conditions, so I said OK. I encouraged my son to go swimming with his teammates one of the nights so I could pay my debt. I mean, I should be so grateful that Robert even allowed this trip to happen in the first place. After all, he was my pimp, my supplier of life, so I owed him mine.</p><p>I hated him so much, as I fell further and further from my true self. Hatred, anger, and rage were at the core of my being, which is the exact opposite of who I am. I only existed on the planet to fall in line with Robert&#8217;s rules and give him his narcissistic supply to keep him going, keep him pumped up.</p><p>Several times a week I would get a lecture about how I&#8217;m not satisfying him properly, so we started seeing a sex therapist, at his request. His hope was that I could learn how to desire him more during sex. He also was threatening to leave me if I wouldn&#8217;t have a threesome. He told me that he shouldn&#8217;t have to give up his desires because his partner wasn&#8217;t interested in the same things.</p><p>I began to believe I was deficient and needed to learn how to be a better partner. How was it that everyone else had this figured out and I was just so bad at it? If I could just desire sex 7 days a week too, maybe he would stop torturing me and telling me all the ways that I&#8217;m not good enough. But that wasn&#8217;t happening.</p><p>I realize now that I was terrorized, raped, and continually disrespected as a woman and a human being by the person who supposedly &#8220;loved&#8221; me, and I took it. I accepted it.</p><p>But how did I allow this to happen?</p>						</div>
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													<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="452" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/How-Did-I-Allow-This-to-Happen_ComfortableHell-1024x579.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-image-1321" alt="" srcset="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/How-Did-I-Allow-This-to-Happen_ComfortableHell-1024x579.jpg 1024w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/How-Did-I-Allow-This-to-Happen_ComfortableHell-300x170.jpg 300w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/How-Did-I-Allow-This-to-Happen_ComfortableHell-768x434.jpg 768w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/How-Did-I-Allow-This-to-Happen_ComfortableHell.jpg 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />													</div>
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		<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"><img decoding="async" width="100" height="100" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Saxby-Pic-150x150.jpg" class="avatar avatar-100 photo" alt="Sarah Saxby" /></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://comfortablehell.com/author/user1/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Sarah Saxby</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><p>Sarah Saxby is a Holistic Nutrition Consultant, Transformation Coach, and blogger that uses Kabbalistic Astrology, Human Design, and intuitive guidance to lead her clients to finally live with clarity, fulfillment, and internal happiness. You can also find her at <a href="https://strategiesforhappiness.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Strategies for Happiness</a> where you can <a href="https://strategiesforhappiness.com/book-now/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">schedule an Astrological Alignment Reading</a> or a free, 15-minute Discovery Call to discuss Nutrition and/or Transformational Coaching sessions.</p>
</div></div><div class="saboxplugin-web "><a href="https://comfortablehell.com" target="_self" >comfortablehell.com</a></div><div class="clearfix"></div></div></div><p>The post <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/how-did-i-allow-this-to-happen/">How Did I Allow This to Happen?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://comfortablehell.com">Comfortable Hell</a>.</p>
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		<title>If I&#8217;m Not Living My Truth Then I&#8217;m Lying To Everyone</title>
		<link>https://comfortablehell.com/living-my-truth/</link>
					<comments>https://comfortablehell.com/living-my-truth/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sarah Saxby]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Oct 2022 10:00:44 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[emotional healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[self-love]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://comfortablehell.com/?p=1279</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>I stopped accepting all that nonsense as my only reality - now I know that if I’m not living my truth then I am lying to everyone.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/living-my-truth/">If I&#8217;m Not Living My Truth Then I&#8217;m Lying To Everyone</a> appeared first on <a href="https://comfortablehell.com">Comfortable Hell</a>.</p>
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										<content:encoded><![CDATA[		<div data-elementor-type="wp-post" data-elementor-id="1279" class="elementor elementor-1279">
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							<p>For me, one of the hardest parts of healing from abusive relationships is coming to terms with the fact that your partner never REALLY &#8220;loved&#8221; you. It&#8217;s kind of mindblowing, heartbreaking, and depressing all at the same time.</p><p>You&#8217;ve gotten yourself out of the situation, so it&#8217;s time to reflect, but all you can do is shake your head because nothing was really as it seemed&#8230; and it seemed SO incredibly real, I know!</p><p>To my partners, love wasn&#8217;t limitless and unconditional, it was just a logical concept. It&#8217;s kinda like reading a book about love &#8211; it was understood, like mathematics, but not felt with the heart. You see, because that person&#8217;s heart was being protected at all costs, and usually at the expense of you, the one who FEELS EVERYTHING.</p><p>But let me be clear about something I know for certain, as I sit in reflection on all my relationships, no matter how REAL it may have seemed, if you are not being uplifted, inspired, and supported by the person you are with, it&#8217;s not love.</p><p>If you are being told that YOU need to change to make things better, it&#8217;s not love. If the boundaries you wish you could enforce are being demolished and steamrolled every day, it&#8217;s not love. If you&#8217;re threatening to leave a relationship and your partner is STILL complaining about YOU, it&#8217;s not love, it&#8217;s just this false idea of what we have always believed love to be.</p><p>As I&#8217;ve said in my past blogs, if the person I was with wasn&#8217;t creating enough drama, I would somehow manage to <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/i-wasnt-ready-for-healthy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stir up the drama</a> myself. It&#8217;s not like I actually enjoyed the turmoil and volatility (at least, I don&#8217;t think I did), but if any other way of operating existed, I certainly wasn&#8217;t aware of it.</p><p>My very first experiences with &#8220;love&#8221; and &#8220;safety&#8221; were played out on a stage closely resembling a battleground with emotionally immature actors. Throughout my entire dating &amp; marriage careers, I have taken painstaking efforts to seek out only emotionally immature actors to star in the movie of my life.</p>						</div>
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													<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="534" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/love-and-safety-1024x683.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-image-1351" alt="black and white image of a couple locked in an embrace in an open field, representing the article &quot;If I’m Not Living My Truth Then I’m Lying To Everyone&quot; by Comfortable Hell" srcset="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/love-and-safety-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/love-and-safety-300x200.jpg 300w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/love-and-safety-768x512.jpg 768w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/love-and-safety.jpg 1440w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />													</div>
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							<p>And why wouldn&#8217;t I do that? I mean, who was I learning emotional health from? I was just getting caught in a familiar loop where each experience would look different on the surface, but the lesson (or hidden message) was always the same.</p><p>And hear me tell you, it will ALWAYS be the same until you begin to draw the line in the sand and have some love &amp; respect for YOU.</p><p>I&#8217;m in a place right now where I&#8217;m just exhausted. I have wasted so much energy keeping up the love-charade, where I only allow myself to be loved as a surface-level concept. Where I am just an object expected to push down my own needs and abandon the person that I really am so I can merely EXIST without being yelled at, punished, and reminded of my inadequacies.</p><p>I am FAR from inadequate and I refuse to only exist.</p><p>My childhood may have primed me for this type of reality, but there&#8217;s a reason why this universe gave us eyes in the front of our heads and not the back. Nothing is carved out in stone and it is NEVER too late to make adjustments to the only path you&#8217;ve ever known. I am SO over being responsible for everyone&#8217;s happiness, I mean, who do I think I am, anyway?</p><p>And if the person who &#8220;loves&#8221; me seriously sets out to ruin my day or put me down because my #1 goal in life is NO LONGER satisfying your extreme and unobtainable needs, you need to move on to the next person who&#8217;s willing to give you that surface-level, temporary, supply. Oh, they&#8217;re out there, I&#8217;m sure, but thank God it&#8217;s no longer me because I am only responsible for myself. If I&#8217;m not living my truth then I am lying to everyone.</p><p>On my run this morning I set my iTunes to shuffle and the most random songs were playing, songs that I haven&#8217;t listened to for so long. Well, let&#8217;s face it, nothing is random, I guess I needed to hear the song &#8220;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonderful_(Gary_Go_song)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wonderful</a>&#8221; by Gary Go. In the song, Gary repeats the sentence &#8220;say I am wonderful&#8221; many times.</p><p>So, you know what? I AM wonderful, so are you, let&#8217;s stop accepting this bullshit as our only reality because it&#8217;s not. It&#8217;s very possible that taking the first step is the hardest thing you&#8217;ll have to do.</p>						</div>
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													<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="452" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Taking-The-First-Step-Is-The-Hardest-Thing-Youll-Have-To-Do_ComfortableHell-1024x579.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-image-1299" alt="" srcset="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Taking-The-First-Step-Is-The-Hardest-Thing-Youll-Have-To-Do_ComfortableHell-1024x579.jpg 1024w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Taking-The-First-Step-Is-The-Hardest-Thing-Youll-Have-To-Do_ComfortableHell-300x170.jpg 300w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Taking-The-First-Step-Is-The-Hardest-Thing-Youll-Have-To-Do_ComfortableHell-768x434.jpg 768w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Taking-The-First-Step-Is-The-Hardest-Thing-Youll-Have-To-Do_ComfortableHell.jpg 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />													</div>
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		<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"><img decoding="async" width="100" height="100" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Saxby-Pic-150x150.jpg" class="avatar avatar-100 photo" alt="Sarah Saxby" /></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://comfortablehell.com/author/user1/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Sarah Saxby</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><p>Sarah Saxby is a Holistic Nutrition Consultant, Transformation Coach, and blogger that uses Kabbalistic Astrology, Human Design, and intuitive guidance to lead her clients to finally live with clarity, fulfillment, and internal happiness. You can also find her at <a href="https://strategiesforhappiness.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Strategies for Happiness</a> where you can <a href="https://strategiesforhappiness.com/book-now/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">schedule an Astrological Alignment Reading</a> or a free, 15-minute Discovery Call to discuss Nutrition and/or Transformational Coaching sessions.</p>
</div></div><div class="saboxplugin-web "><a href="https://comfortablehell.com" target="_self" >comfortablehell.com</a></div><div class="clearfix"></div></div></div><p>The post <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/living-my-truth/">If I&#8217;m Not Living My Truth Then I&#8217;m Lying To Everyone</a> appeared first on <a href="https://comfortablehell.com">Comfortable Hell</a>.</p>
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		<title>Always Heed Their Ex&#8217;s Warnings, Even If You Think They&#8217;re Batshit Crazy</title>
		<link>https://comfortablehell.com/exs-warnings/</link>
					<comments>https://comfortablehell.com/exs-warnings/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sarah Saxby]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 08 Oct 2022 10:00:38 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[emotional healing]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://comfortablehell.com/?p=1228</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Actually listening to their ex's warnings doesn't seem like too much to ask if it's going to save you from years of torture, does it?</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/exs-warnings/">Always Heed Their Ex&#8217;s Warnings, Even If You Think They&#8217;re Batshit Crazy</a> appeared first on <a href="https://comfortablehell.com">Comfortable Hell</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[		<div data-elementor-type="wp-post" data-elementor-id="1228" class="elementor elementor-1228">
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							<p>My guess is that many of us have been in a situation where you start dating someone and there&#8217;s a &#8220;crazy&#8221; ex. Everybody loves to tell those stories, right? There&#8217;s so much energy to gain when we&#8217;re talking about all the psychotic things the ex is doing, saying, etc.</p><p>Now, as I mentioned in my previous blog, there are people who have no problem doing horrible things to people, literally just to do them, so I get that. But I feel, oftentimes, we&#8217;re so infatuated with our new hologram of a partner, that we prefer to just talk about how crazy the ex is, rather than, at the very least, consider some of what this person is actually saying.</p><p>Once again, it&#8217;s just easier. It also makes us feel pretty darn good about ourselves. And besides, WE are the lucky ones now, right? WE won the prize!</p><p>Let me briefly explain why I call new partners &#8220;holograms&#8221;. I really don&#8217;t believe that we truly see someone for who they really are in the beginning of a relationship, nor are we necessarily who WE really are either.</p><p>I mean, look at me, for God&#8217;s sake. I&#8217;ve had 1000 relationships and not once have I EVER been myself. I call myself a pod-person, just walking around, mitigating my behavior to please the other person. Who cares about my needs and boundaries? Obviously not me.  One of my greatest friends in the world, Peter &#8220;Pete&#8221; Peterson, and I call them &#8220;soulmate suits.&#8221;</p><p>You go out on a date and the person is wearing that damn soulmate suit, so we think it&#8217;s our freaking soulmate and we start doing stupid shit, like saying &#8220;I love you&#8221; way too soon, or jointly make a big purchase, or sharing finances, or moving in together. You get what I&#8217;m saying.</p><p>Six months later, the suit falls off and we don&#8217;t even know who we&#8217;re looking at anymore, but ah, it&#8217;s too late now! We already did all that stupid shit that I mentioned. Gotta move forward with this stranger you&#8217;d really rather hit in the head with a frying pan than live with, all while remaining a pod-person.</p>						</div>
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													<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="534" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/toxic-relationships-1024x683.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-image-1239" alt="couple with the man&#039;s hands crossed while the woman is back hugging him representing exs warnings" srcset="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/toxic-relationships-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/toxic-relationships-300x200.jpg 300w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/toxic-relationships-768x512.jpg 768w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/toxic-relationships-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/toxic-relationships.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />													</div>
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							<p>So, now actually listening to their ex&#8217;s warnings, or even just reflecting a bit on what they&#8217;re saying doesn&#8217;t seem like too much to ask if it&#8217;s going to save you from years of torture, does it?</p><p>I was in a situation once where the ex did put out a very serious APB. And I mean, like no joke. If I think back to everything she said, it lines up perfectly with what I went through. The writing was on the wall&#8230; and on social media, but I turned a blind eye.</p><p>I do have to say that she did and said some pretty awful things about me without even knowing me. She ruined many of my days. But let&#8217;s face it, she was pissed about how things ended up and didn&#8217;t want to see him happy. Whatever. I have to consider all of the red flags, including her giant one, that I chose to ignore just to remain comfortable (hell, that is).</p><p>If I respected myself, <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/i-wasnt-ready-for-healthy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">set boundaries</a>, and simply just took some time to get to know the person I was dating, everything would have come out in the proverbial wash very early in the relationship. But that would have taken effort on my part.</p><p>Here are a few things to consider that are so insanely obvious, but we brush under the rug:</p><ol><li>Your partner was in a relationship with someone you deemed as crazy.</li><li>If their ex was crazy, how can your partner not have at least a little bit of crazy too?</li><li>Your partner, with a little bit of crazy AND a crazy ex, also picked you.</li></ol><p>Let&#8217;s face it, the relationship apple doesn&#8217;t fall far from the tree. Here&#8217;s where I need to reflect on all of those &#8220;crazy&#8221; aspects and determine where they show up within me. People that drive us nuts are, hands down, the biggest mirrors for our personal growth. Until I can locate these aspects and transform them inside of me, I might still be ok with being a pod-person.</p><p>So, to the ex of any future dude I date, it&#8217;s possible that I will think you’re batshit crazy, but I promise to always heed your warnings.</p>						</div>
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													<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="452" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Always-Heed-Their-Exs-Warnings-Even-If-You-Think-Theyre-Batshit-Crazy_ComfortableHell-1024x579.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-image-1230" alt="black and white image of a woman in front of a mirror with text overlay of quote from the article &quot;Always Heed Their Ex&#039;s Warnings, Even If You Think They&#039;re Batshit Crazy&quot; by Comfortable Hell" srcset="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Always-Heed-Their-Exs-Warnings-Even-If-You-Think-Theyre-Batshit-Crazy_ComfortableHell-1024x579.jpg 1024w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Always-Heed-Their-Exs-Warnings-Even-If-You-Think-Theyre-Batshit-Crazy_ComfortableHell-300x170.jpg 300w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Always-Heed-Their-Exs-Warnings-Even-If-You-Think-Theyre-Batshit-Crazy_ComfortableHell-768x434.jpg 768w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Always-Heed-Their-Exs-Warnings-Even-If-You-Think-Theyre-Batshit-Crazy_ComfortableHell.jpg 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />													</div>
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		<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"><img decoding="async" width="100" height="100" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Saxby-Pic-150x150.jpg" class="avatar avatar-100 photo" alt="Sarah Saxby" /></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://comfortablehell.com/author/user1/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Sarah Saxby</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><p>Sarah Saxby is a Holistic Nutrition Consultant, Transformation Coach, and blogger that uses Kabbalistic Astrology, Human Design, and intuitive guidance to lead her clients to finally live with clarity, fulfillment, and internal happiness. You can also find her at <a href="https://strategiesforhappiness.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Strategies for Happiness</a> where you can <a href="https://strategiesforhappiness.com/book-now/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">schedule an Astrological Alignment Reading</a> or a free, 15-minute Discovery Call to discuss Nutrition and/or Transformational Coaching sessions.</p>
</div></div><div class="saboxplugin-web "><a href="https://comfortablehell.com" target="_self" >comfortablehell.com</a></div><div class="clearfix"></div></div></div><p>The post <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/exs-warnings/">Always Heed Their Ex&#8217;s Warnings, Even If You Think They&#8217;re Batshit Crazy</a> appeared first on <a href="https://comfortablehell.com">Comfortable Hell</a>.</p>
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		<title>Honesty Is Expensive, Don&#8217;t Expect It from Cheap People</title>
		<link>https://comfortablehell.com/honesty-is-expensive/</link>
					<comments>https://comfortablehell.com/honesty-is-expensive/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sarah Saxby]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 05 Oct 2022 10:00:17 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[abuse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[emotional healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marriage]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://comfortablehell.com/?p=1203</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>She wanted so badly for all people to be inherently good, but really, they're not. There are people who do horrible things, literally just do horrible things.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/honesty-is-expensive/">Honesty Is Expensive, Don&#8217;t Expect It from Cheap People</a> appeared first on <a href="https://comfortablehell.com">Comfortable Hell</a>.</p>
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										<content:encoded><![CDATA[		<div data-elementor-type="wp-post" data-elementor-id="1203" class="elementor elementor-1203">
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							<p>I have a &#8220;friend&#8221;, we will call her Kacee &#8211; I believe her to be beautiful, inspiring, and very wise. She was married once but divorced quite some time ago. She and her ex have children and they share custody.</p><p>Now, if you ask me, no one is good enough for her. I mean, I guess maybe, and that&#8217;s a big MAYBE, there might be someone out there that can handle her tenacity, drive, beauty, and depth, but so far, no one has managed to be worthy. It&#8217;s obvious that she doesn&#8217;t realize her power, although I do&#8230; and everyone else she knows can see it, too.</p><p>When she was married to this guy, we didn&#8217;t really understand it completely, but when your friend seems happy, you don&#8217;t really want to interfere with that. Besides, we could tell she wouldn&#8217;t have had the ears to hear what any of us had to say, anyway. I&#8217;m pretty sure she felt stuck in that relationship, like she made the bed and her only option was to sleep in it. So, she did, miserably, for several years.</p><p>Kacee was also a very trusting person. Sometimes I wanted to smack her upside the head because she put trust in people that would inevitably screw her over. Why could she not see that? She wanted so badly for all people to be inherently good, but really, they&#8217;re not. There are people who do <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/you-need-to-change/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">horrible things</a>, literally just do horrible things.</p><p>Unfortunately, she was a magnet for these kinds of people and her husband was one of them. We knew it. She, on the other hand, wanted to believe he was good, honest, and trustworthy. Most likely because it was EASIER that way.</p><p>It takes energy, responsibility, and courage to stick up for yourself and fight for what is right and fair. You have to be able to face the fear of possibly upsetting someone and being disliked. God forbid, being disliked.</p><p>Kacee, as always, took the more &#8220;comfortable&#8221; and familiar route of just making sure everyone remained happy, and it was typically at her expense &#8211; emotionally, psychologically, and financially.</p>						</div>
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													<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="534" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/friends-1024x683.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-image-1209" alt="a couple of women relaxing on the beach, representing the article &quot; Honesty Is Expensive, Don&#039;t Expect It from Cheap People&quot; by Comfortable Hell" srcset="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/friends-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/friends-300x200.jpg 300w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/friends-768x512.jpg 768w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/friends-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/friends.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />													</div>
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							<p>It did take strength for her to finally ask her husband for a divorce, but that&#8217;s where her firmness ended. She just wanted out, but she also felt so guilty for breaking up the family. So, to some degree, she thought she deserved to carry 100% of any current and future burdens. She didn&#8217;t take ONE CENT from her husband when she left, although he had plenty to take.</p><p>Not only did she feel she didn&#8217;t deserve it, she didn&#8217;t want to upset him or his family, or look like a bad person in the eyes of their friends. She didn&#8217;t plan ahead, didn&#8217;t think through what it would take to support herself and her children on her end.</p><p>She struggled most days. She had the kids, for the most part, every night and every weekend, while her soon-to-be ex-husband was going out on &#8220;dates.&#8221; He said to her &#8220;well, you were the one who wanted to be a single parent, so now you have to deal with it.&#8221;</p><p>Now, to be certain, she couldn&#8217;t care less about these dates he went on, she was glad he wasn&#8217;t barking up her tree anymore, but the concern was the quality of mental health of some of these people he was spending time with.</p><p>At one point he brought his gun over to her house because he was concerned about what one of these women might do. What was Kacee supposed to do? She was working all week long. She had very small children to take care of 100% of the time she was not at work (keep in mind, this was by design of her ex, because if she had the kids all the time, she wouldn&#8217;t be able to have a life outside of the home).</p><p>She also struggled to make ends meet financially because she didn&#8217;t fight for what was fair during the divorce, yet, at the end of the day, she was still the bad guy and very much disliked. Go figure. So really, if she was going to be hated anyway, she might as well be hated with money in the bank.</p><p>But she endured, danced around everyone&#8217;s emotions, and trusted shitty people. She gave up her family home for a measly amount of money from her ex, which, by the way, he was paying in installments but conveniently decided to stop paying. She never got the agreement in writing. Why? Because she foolishly trusted a jackass.</p><p>She was also naive enough to give this guy a key to her new apartment so he could get in and out more easily when he would pick up the kids. You know how he ended up using that key while she was at work? To bring his girlfriends there to have sex on her bed. Yep, he did that and God knows what else. Did Kacee do anything about it when she found out? Nope.</p><p>She never even confronted him because it may upset him and people may not like her. She may be viewed as a mean person, so he just gets to walk away because he married someone who didn&#8217;t respect herself.</p><p><em>But I respect her. Her tribe respects her.</em></p><p>So, Kacee, don&#8217;t ever for a minute look back with an ounce of regret. You just didn&#8217;t know and you weren&#8217;t ready to stand up for yourself. You didn&#8217;t have the proper muscles like you do now. We will never let this happen again and neither will you.</p><p>No more giving expensive honesty to cheap people.</p>						</div>
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													<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="452" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Honesty-Is-Expensive-Dont-Expect-It-from-Cheap-People_ComfortableHell-1024x579.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-image-1210" alt="woman out in an open field of flowers with text overlay of quotes from the article &quot;Honesty Is Expensive, Don&#039;t Expect It from Cheap People&quot; by Comfortable Hell" srcset="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Honesty-Is-Expensive-Dont-Expect-It-from-Cheap-People_ComfortableHell-1024x579.jpg 1024w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Honesty-Is-Expensive-Dont-Expect-It-from-Cheap-People_ComfortableHell-300x170.jpg 300w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Honesty-Is-Expensive-Dont-Expect-It-from-Cheap-People_ComfortableHell-768x434.jpg 768w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Honesty-Is-Expensive-Dont-Expect-It-from-Cheap-People_ComfortableHell.jpg 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />													</div>
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		<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"><img decoding="async" width="100" height="100" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Saxby-Pic-150x150.jpg" class="avatar avatar-100 photo" alt="Sarah Saxby" /></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://comfortablehell.com/author/user1/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Sarah Saxby</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><p>Sarah Saxby is a Holistic Nutrition Consultant, Transformation Coach, and blogger that uses Kabbalistic Astrology, Human Design, and intuitive guidance to lead her clients to finally live with clarity, fulfillment, and internal happiness. You can also find her at <a href="https://strategiesforhappiness.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Strategies for Happiness</a> where you can <a href="https://strategiesforhappiness.com/book-now/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">schedule an Astrological Alignment Reading</a> or a free, 15-minute Discovery Call to discuss Nutrition and/or Transformational Coaching sessions.</p>
</div></div><div class="saboxplugin-web "><a href="https://comfortablehell.com" target="_self" >comfortablehell.com</a></div><div class="clearfix"></div></div></div><p>The post <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/honesty-is-expensive/">Honesty Is Expensive, Don&#8217;t Expect It from Cheap People</a> appeared first on <a href="https://comfortablehell.com">Comfortable Hell</a>.</p>
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		<title>I Wasn&#8217;t Ready for Healthy</title>
		<link>https://comfortablehell.com/i-wasnt-ready-for-healthy/</link>
					<comments>https://comfortablehell.com/i-wasnt-ready-for-healthy/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sarah Saxby]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 24 Sep 2022 10:00:25 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[life lessons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[self sabotage]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://comfortablehell.com/?p=1083</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>I just wasn’t strong enough yet and had to go through more learning experiences – I wasn’t ready for healthy.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/i-wasnt-ready-for-healthy/">I Wasn&#8217;t Ready for Healthy</a> appeared first on <a href="https://comfortablehell.com">Comfortable Hell</a>.</p>
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										<content:encoded><![CDATA[		<div data-elementor-type="wp-post" data-elementor-id="1083" class="elementor elementor-1083">
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							<p>Up until this point in my life, I realize that I have only really been “comfortable” in abusive relationships. They are hell, but at least they are familiar, so there’s that.</p><p>In my past, the universe would always sprinkle in a few healthier guys just to see what I would do, see if I’d take the bait. Oh, I’d take the bait, but quickly throw it back into the ocean because they just didn’t want or “need” me the way that I was used to.</p><p>If they weren’t completely throwing themselves at me the very first week of dating, I assumed they weren’t interested, so I’d play this stupid game where I wasn’t available and pretend I was totally aloof.</p><p>Let’s take the guy my daughters&#8217; refer to as The DILF.</p><p>I honestly can’t blame them for calling him that because this guy was and will always be a perfect specimen. He looks like he should be in a biology book where people are studying perfect bone and skeleton structures. I really outdid myself back then and will give myself a well-deserved pat on the back for that one.</p>						</div>
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							<p>I’m not completely convinced that even HE knew how beautiful he was. Because we lived kinda far from each other, he asked me if he would be able to shower at my place before our first date. I’m like, “ummmm, ok.” I have NO idea why he walked out of the bathroom with only his towel on (I’m pretty sure I went into an unconscious state as soon as the door opened), but he did, and that will forever be engrained in my mind as a wonderful memory.</p><p>Now, this guy was not only amazing looking, he was also very sweet and caring. He was driven and had real plans for his career and future. He had his own place and drove his own car (crazy, right?). We connected on a spiritual level and shared books and bits of wisdom with each other when we were together. I remember that there was a very deep and meaningful poem that we would always read to each other.</p><p>For all intents and purposes, this had the makings of a very healthy partnership, but there was one issue &#8211; he just got out of a long-term relationship. Keep in mind, he’s NORMAL! So, one of the very first things he told me when we met was that he just wasn’t quite ready to commit himself to anyone. He said that his previous relationship was special and it really broke his heart, so he just wasn’t looking for anything serious at this time.</p>						</div>
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													<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="534" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/man-who-knows-boundaries-1024x683.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-image-1223" alt="" srcset="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/man-who-knows-boundaries-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/man-who-knows-boundaries-300x200.jpg 300w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/man-who-knows-boundaries-768x512.jpg 768w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/man-who-knows-boundaries-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/man-who-knows-boundaries.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />													</div>
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							<p>Now, a healthy person would really appreciate that and just kinda go with the flow, see what happens. Well, not ME, because I relate to drama, torture, and abuse. So, what do I do? I start with the attitude of “well, I’ll show him!” “I’m not good enough for a relationship with him now? We’ll see about that.”</p><p>I start playing hard to get, not answering calls, acting like I’m so busy and unavailable. I mean, this is someone that I REALLY like and has been so incredibly sweet and honest to me! WTF?</p><p>I don’t remember all of the details around the next 6 months or so, but I know I tortured myself, most likely because I wasn’t getting tortured by him. I know we kept in touch and went out here and there, but in my head, I was playing a game. A game he knew nothing about.</p><p>Flash forward, I’m at my friend’s wedding and I decided to ask him if he wants to be my date. He doesn’t answer me right away, he said that he would think about it. That’s not a good look for me because I immediately take that as “I’m not <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/if-i-was-sick-i-was-completely-useless/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">good enough</a>” and start getting an attitude about it.</p><p>Really, all he wanted to do was organize a few details on his end before making a decision, you know, because he has a life outside of me (how dare he). However, to me, the delay is stirring up feelings of unworthiness, inadequacy, and powerlessness. The only thing running through my head is how I could never be as good as his ex, I’m not good enough for someone so perfect, and I will lose in the end, anyway.</p>						</div>
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							<p>Well, a few days later he calls me and says “I’d like to go to your friend’s wedding and I’d also like to invite you to dinner with my parents. We are going to celebrate my graduation and I’d like you to be a part of it.”</p><p>It was everything I’d been waiting to hear. My response to this is more difficult to write than I thought, as I sit here and shake my head. You know what I said to him?</p><p>“How dare you treat me the way that you have and expect me to just be your girlfriend now. Do you have any idea how much I put up with all these months and now you just want to make a commitment?”</p><p>Yep, that’s what I said. I think we call this “self-sabotage.”</p><p>Again, because he’s a normal person, he cut all ties with me. He wouldn’t even respond to my apologies by phone and email. He had boundaries that he respected and he wasn’t going to let anyone cross them.</p><p>So, to the DILF, thank you for teaching me boundaries, although I didn’t realize it then. I would say sorry for being such an idiot, but I’m being kind to myself. I just wasn’t strong enough yet and had to go through more learning experiences. I get it now.</p>						</div>
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													<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1080" height="611" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/I-Wasnt-Ready-for-Healthy_ComfortableHell.jpg" class="attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536 wp-image-1084" alt="man&#039;s side back profile with text overlay of quote from the article &quot;I Wasn&#039;t Ready for Healthy&quot; by Comfortable Hell" srcset="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/I-Wasnt-Ready-for-Healthy_ComfortableHell.jpg 1080w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/I-Wasnt-Ready-for-Healthy_ComfortableHell-300x170.jpg 300w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/I-Wasnt-Ready-for-Healthy_ComfortableHell-1024x579.jpg 1024w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/I-Wasnt-Ready-for-Healthy_ComfortableHell-768x434.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px" />													</div>
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		<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"><img decoding="async" width="100" height="100" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Saxby-Pic-150x150.jpg" class="avatar avatar-100 photo" alt="Sarah Saxby" /></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://comfortablehell.com/author/user1/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Sarah Saxby</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><p>Sarah Saxby is a Holistic Nutrition Consultant, Transformation Coach, and blogger that uses Kabbalistic Astrology, Human Design, and intuitive guidance to lead her clients to finally live with clarity, fulfillment, and internal happiness. You can also find her at <a href="https://strategiesforhappiness.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Strategies for Happiness</a> where you can <a href="https://strategiesforhappiness.com/book-now/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">schedule an Astrological Alignment Reading</a> or a free, 15-minute Discovery Call to discuss Nutrition and/or Transformational Coaching sessions.</p>
</div></div><div class="saboxplugin-web "><a href="https://comfortablehell.com" target="_self" >comfortablehell.com</a></div><div class="clearfix"></div></div></div><p>The post <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/i-wasnt-ready-for-healthy/">I Wasn&#8217;t Ready for Healthy</a> appeared first on <a href="https://comfortablehell.com">Comfortable Hell</a>.</p>
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		<title>Et Tu, Brute?</title>
		<link>https://comfortablehell.com/et-tu-brute/</link>
					<comments>https://comfortablehell.com/et-tu-brute/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sarah Saxby]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Sep 2022 10:00:56 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[abuse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[emotional healing]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://comfortablehell.com/?p=1017</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>We have been conditioned to believe that the only real abuse is the physical kind. That’s certainly the most obvious, but it doesn’t mean it’s the most painful.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/et-tu-brute/">Et Tu, Brute?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://comfortablehell.com">Comfortable Hell</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[		<div data-elementor-type="wp-post" data-elementor-id="1017" class="elementor elementor-1017">
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							<p>The first time that I even noticed being in an abusive relationship was when I was in my 20s. If I was in one prior to that, I was not aware. Now, as I mentioned in my previous blog, for some reason, we have been conditioned to believe that the only real abuse is the physical kind. That’s certainly the most obvious, but it doesn’t mean it’s the most painful.</p><p>Emotional and psychological abuse is extremely painful, and in some cases, it may be even worse BECAUSE you can’t necessarily prove it. Even if you did, oftentimes it may get shrugged off, and/or you are made to believe it’s all in your head.</p><p>Flashback to the 90s, I am one of those people who believes abuse is only considered abuse if it’s physical. Back then I considered myself to be fairly successful. I mean, I was free, traveling all over the place. I had a great job, I lived on the lake, and drove a nice car. I had tons of friends that hung out all the time, we laughed a lot. I pretty much had everything I could ever dream of and for the most part, I can say I was really happy.</p><p>My friends and I typically frequented the same clubs on the weekends, and because of that, we saw many of the same people. At one point, my friends and I started talking to a group of people that soon became our clubbing buddies. There was a guy within that group, we will call him Caesar.</p><p>Now Caesar was not my type and I had zero interest in him romantically, but he was the absolute best! He had an infectious smile, he was VERY smart, and he always took care of everything. He never skipped a beat. If we needed water, it was there. If we needed food, it was there. It was almost unreal how thoughtful and caring he was to everyone.</p><p>It was attractive and it was attracting me. I was kinda falling for a friend, which made me happy because I really thought that would be genuine. I mean, we always hear stories about falling in love with a best friend or the boy next door or whatever.</p><p>What could possibly go wrong when you first build a friendship with someone and then fall in love? I was in a very different place in life than Caesar, but I didn’t care. I was a strong woman who would build him up and make him the man he’s meant to be!</p><p>So what if he only worked a couple of nights a week at a bar? Who cares that he drove his grandma’s car? Who cares that he couldn’t function in daily life without smoking weed first? I can fix all this!</p><p>Over time, as the relationship grew, I began to get beat down. I couldn’t make a move without him accusing me of cheating on him. He was at my apartment 24/7. If he felt slighted in ANY way, he would stop talking to me for hours upon hours.</p>						</div>
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													<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="534" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/controlling-partner-1024x683.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-image-1179" alt="partial image of a woman hugging a man from the back, focused on their tangled hands" srcset="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/controlling-partner-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/controlling-partner-300x200.jpg 300w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/controlling-partner-768x512.jpg 768w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/controlling-partner-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/controlling-partner.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />													</div>
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							<p>All I wanted to do was to get back in his good graces, so I would do whatever I had to do, even beg him to talk to me again. I would beg to change whatever I needed to change to make things better. Everyone loved him and thought he was the greatest, so I needed him to love me, to validate me, to tell me I was worthy.</p><p>However, he never complimented me. If anything, it was a series of put-downs, whether it was how I looked or who I was as a person. It was a vicious cycle and I began to see how incredibly angry he really was. I felt like he hated me, but like really hated me. I felt that he would do anything he could to make me feel like I am a worthless human being.</p><p>And I stayed. Regardless of all of this, I stayed. I didn’t want to upset him and have him be mad at me… then everyone would hate me. All of our friends, who would believe ME? This is Caesar we’re talking about, the most funny and thoughtful guy around!</p><p>One morning a friend and I were leaving a party in Pittsburgh and we called Caesar and his roommate to see what they were up to. They asked us to stop over on the way home, so we did.</p><p>So now smoking weed was never my thing and never has been, but when we got there I kinda felt like a “when in Rome” sort of thing. Can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.</p><p>So I smoked a bit, but as I expected, it was not good for me. I just remember seeing all kinds of numbers in my head and I couldn’t remember anything. I was completely out of it and I remember the others making fun of me.</p><p>I didn’t think any of this was funny and I was pretty scared. I laid back, in hopes that I could gain back a bit of coherence, but I couldn’t. Caesar somehow got me into his bedroom. Now, I had no ability to fend him off, but he was also my boyfriend, so I could trust him, right?</p><p>Well thinking back, I knew he had an underlying HATRED for me, so what was I thinking? It’s like I somehow became the dad that left him and he wanted to punish me. But, at the same time, he wanted to control and manipulate me and make sure I would never leave him.</p><p>That night, to make a long and difficult story short, he tried to get me pregnant. What a better way to keep someone FOREVER. When I meekly confronted him the next day, he berated me up one side and down the other, saying that he had no control over any of what happened and it was all my fault.</p><p>It’s my fault that he had no control. Well, all I can say is THANK GOD, I did not get pregnant, but I did stay. I STILL STAYED WITH HIM AFTER THIS!</p><p>Flash forward a few months. He, my girlfriend, and I went out. I didn’t last long because I was tired, so I left but asked Caesar to take my girlfriend home later. I woke up around 4 am (this was a Monday night) and he wasn’t home yet. I called him, no answer. I called my friend, no answer. I repeated this for quite some time, no one picked up.</p><p>At some point, he finally called me SCREAMING at me, asking me if I’m accusing him of something. All I said was that I was scared to death that something happened to the two of them. It never crossed my mind that they were doing anything inappropriate “together.”</p><p>But, that’s me, <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/shout-out-to-the-person-who-wanted-to-erase-my-memory/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">turning a blind</a> eye to keep my friendships intact and not upset anyone. When he got home, he continued to verbally abuse me to the point of holding me on the ground, telling me how disgusted he was with me and how horrible I am to think anything was going on with him and my friend. Of course, I still stayed with him after that, as well as my friend. I didn’t want them to be mad at me.</p><p>Well, at some point I did get away from him. I believe the whole relationship was about 8 months or so. To make sure he got the last laugh, I guess, he called me to tell me how awful of a person I was and hung up.</p><p>Hope he got what he was looking for with that because what I have gained from that relationship is priceless knowledge that I will continue to pay forward as long as I live.</p>						</div>
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		<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"><img decoding="async" width="100" height="100" src="https://comfortablehell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Saxby-Pic-150x150.jpg" class="avatar avatar-100 photo" alt="Sarah Saxby" /></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://comfortablehell.com/author/user1/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Sarah Saxby</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><p>Sarah Saxby is a Holistic Nutrition Consultant, Transformation Coach, and blogger that uses Kabbalistic Astrology, Human Design, and intuitive guidance to lead her clients to finally live with clarity, fulfillment, and internal happiness. You can also find her at <a href="https://strategiesforhappiness.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Strategies for Happiness</a> where you can <a href="https://strategiesforhappiness.com/book-now/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">schedule an Astrological Alignment Reading</a> or a free, 15-minute Discovery Call to discuss Nutrition and/or Transformational Coaching sessions.</p>
</div></div><div class="saboxplugin-web "><a href="https://comfortablehell.com" target="_self" >comfortablehell.com</a></div><div class="clearfix"></div></div></div><p>The post <a href="https://comfortablehell.com/et-tu-brute/">Et Tu, Brute?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://comfortablehell.com">Comfortable Hell</a>.</p>
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